Thursday, January 9, 2014

A New Year and Same old stuff.

As Congress came back to DC in this frigid new year The Senate saw the lapse of long term unemployment benefits as a major and pressing issue. The Democratic majority and a few semi-sane Republicans forced cloture and went about the business of crafting a bill that can pass, restoring unemployment coverage to the long term jobless.

The GOP controlled House saw the priorities differently.

H.R.7 is in committee. The seven indicates this is the seventh bill introduced this session. And it is an abortion bill. Here we go again.

The bill has an Orwellian title, "The No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion Act". Really. it doesn't matter that no Federal tax money is used for abortions now or in the past. It's all about insurance.

First off it forbids abortion coverage in the ACA State run insurance market places. Though, Tea Party controlled States like Ohio have already done that. So again a hammer to close a door that's not open. Like voter fraud.

This bill goes off the cliff when it comes to sanity. It totally destroys what little credibility these "small government" anarchists have.

Here we go through the looking glass.

This bill wants to restrict what Private insurance plans may offer and how they're paid for. A business that offers health insurance to their employees( encouraged under the ACA with tax breaks)that offers abortion coverage will be subject to new taxes. It also eliminates any health expenses deductions for abortion except for RAPE, INCEST or to PROTECT the Mother's life.

This change to the tax code means the IRS will be able to determine if those conditions are met to their satisfaction before allowing the deduction. That's right, a rape audit. Because having an IRS agent grill a women about whether she was raped, or about to die is a good and proper thing. After all slut shaming is a proper function of government.

Abortion is routinely covered as general health care in private policies. Under this bill the insurance policy would only be able to cover abortion in those narrow parameters. Many carriers would opt to not cover at all. So women would be forced to buy rape insurance or pay out of pocket. Since most people can't afford to pay out of pocket for any medical procedure( hence the need for insurance) abortion will be only affordable to the wealthy.

There is only one reason to introduce a bill like this. A De facto abortion ban. Rationing by class and income. Since there is no real ban, this could likely get by the current SCOTUS.

It is good to see the House knows what America needs even if it doesn't want it. Women need to know that they can't use abortion as birth control. After all, they are too hormone addled to be rational about this issue.

So a House committee made up entirely of men will help you gals through this. Remember how to thank the GOP for this in November. Just say NO.